Toy lie detector



March 31, l J. W. RYAN TOY LIE DETECTOR Filed March 13, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 -lla.

4 INVENTOR. (To/w W: Jam/v BY 2 J March 31, 1964 J. w. RYAN 3,127,176

TOY LIE DETECTOR Filed March 13, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 2a 27 as 42 :2

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TOY LIE DETECTOR Filed March 13, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet s FI 0o 60 l 1&0. 8. 52

INV EN TOR.

United States Patent 3,127,176 TDY LIE DETECTGR John W. Ryan, 11027 Cashmere, Bel Aire, Calif. Filed Mar. 13, 1962, Sea. No. 179,334 12 Claims. ((11. Z73139) This invention relates to games of amusement and more especially to a lie detector apparatus for playing a game simulating the detection of a criminal suspect.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple game apparatus to determine the identity of the criminal suspect among a number of suspects.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel game apparatus simulating a lie detector for determining the guilty one of a number of suspects of an imaginary crime commission.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel lie detector game apparatus providing high interest in the players.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an improved game apparatus involving a simulated lie detector aspect utilizing a number of playing cards and whereby the results of successive games are all different.

Another object of the invention is to provide a so-called scientific crime solution game employing a lie detector wherein the game may be played by two to four players.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear and be brought out more fully in the following specification reference being had to the accompanying drawings;

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the lie detector game apparatus of this invention showing two of the playing cards used therewith.

FIGURE 2 is a bottom view of the same.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, showing actuation of the apparatus to provide a TRUE indication.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective view of the principal actuating parts of the apparatus.

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 showing actuation of the apparatus to provide a False indication.

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 showing actuation to False indication.

FIGURE 8 is a partial bottom view of the mechanism shown to give False indication.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the lie detector game of this invention is incorporated in a box like container 10 having a bottom 11, sidewalls 11a and a top wall 12. A channel member 13 extends across bottom 11 and has a pair of spaced apart laterally extending bearing pins 14 and 15. An actuating lever 16 has an aperture 17 by which it is bearing mounted on hearing pin 14 and a bell crank 18 has a transverse bore by which it is hearing mounted on bearing pin 15. One arm of hell crank 18 has a laterally extending crank pin 19 which extends into a slot 20 in one end of actuating lever 16. A leaf spring pointer 21 has a foot 22 at one end by which it is secured to the underside of top wall 12, the pointer being positioned in an end-slot 23 in bell crank 18. Top wall 12 has a raised frame 24 provided with a transparent window 25 under which pointer 21 moves when actuated in a manner to be described more fully hereinafter. A card 26 is secured across the window opening below pointer 21 and bears the legends True and False on opposite sides of the center thereof.

Top wall 12 has a triangular shaped recess 27 in which is positioned a Reset lever 28 secured on the end of a hub spindle 29 Which is journal mounted to an arm 13a 3,127,176 Patented Mar. 31, 1964 of channel member 13. A latch plate 30 is secured on hub spindle 29 which also secures a leaf spring 31, one end of which bears against a stop member 32 extending downwardly from the under side of recessed portion 27 of the top plate or wall 12. A clapper 33 is secured on the other end of spring 31 adjacent a bell 34 secured to bottom 11.

A plate shaped control card actuator 35 is provided with a pair of stub shafts 36 which have bearing mountings in a pair of semicircular bearing hubs 37 formed on flange extensions of a plate actuator 38, bearing hubs 37 having bearing mountings in bosses 39 formed on the underside of top wall 12 and suitably supported by upstanding wall extensions 11b of bottom 11 which provides support for stub shafts 36. Control card actuator 35 has a tongue extension 40 which extends over actuating lever 16 on one side of bearing pin aperture 17. A compression spring 41 partially supports control card actuator 35 and has one end held by a pin 42 thereon and the other end held by a guide pin 43 which extends upwardly from channel member 13 on bottom 11. Plate actuator 38 has a tongue 44 which extends over actuating lever 16 on the opposite side of bearing pin aperture 17 from tongue 40 of the control card actuator.

Wall 11a has a cut-out portion 45 adjacent control card actuator 35. Top wall 12 has a plurality of rectangular apertures 46 in a square formation and, surrounding this array of apertures, is an open frame 47, one corner 48 of which is formed at an angle. A testimony card 49, rectangular in shape, has a corner cut-out 50 and is adapted to be inserted in frame 47 with cut-out 50 positioned adjacent angular corner 48 of the frame. Card 49 is one of a series each of which has an aperture 51 which will register with one of the top apertures 46 such as the aperture indicated 46a.

A plurality of rectangular or square control cards 52 are formed with a plurality of apertures 53 each of which will register with one of the apertures 46 when the control card is inserted through cut-out 45 and placed on control card actuator 35 during the playing of the game.

A probe 55 has a pointed end 56 and may be secured to the housing or container 10 as by flexible cord 57. Top 12 has a depressed portion 12a formed with circular apertures 60 smaller than apertures 46, there being a honeycomb formation 12b between the wall 12 and the offset portion 12a thereof. A stop pin 58 extends downwardly from the underside of control card actuator 35 and has a shoulder 59 which extends over actuating lever 16 on the opposite side of bearing pin aperture 17 from tongue 44 of plate actuator 38. When control card actuator 35 is pressed downwardly shoulder 59 of pin 58 will swing lever 16 to rotate bell crank 18 and move pointer 21 to the right to False indication and when plate actuator 38 is similarly moved downward actuating lever 16 will be rocked in the opposite direction to move the pointer 21 to True position.

In the operation of the invention the lie detector is set by turning Reset lever 28 to the left which will cause latch plate 30 to be latched by tongue 40 of control card actuator 35 which is urged upwardly by spring 41. A guilty control card 52 is then inserted through cut-out 45 and placed on the control card actuator as may be seen in FIGURES 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8. In this position several of the apertures 54 of the control card or guilty card will be aligned with several of apertures 54 of the control card actuator 35. A testimony card 49 is then positioned on the top 12 within frame 47 and its single aperture 51 will be aligned with one of the apertures 46, for example 46a as seen in FIGURE 3. The player then inserts the needle point 56 of probe 55 through card aperture 51 and, if there is no correspondingly aligned aperture 53 of guilty card 52 aligned therewith, pressure of the probe on card 52 will move plate control card actuator 35 downwardly to the position shown in FIG- URE 6 whereupon the pointer will be moved to the right to indicate False and at the same time latch plate 30 will be released from tongue 40, and spindle hub 29 will be turned and clapper 33 of bell 34 will strike the bell and give an audible signal. In the event one of apertures 53 of the guilty card 52 is in alignment with aperture 51 of the testimony card needle point 56 of the probe will pass through card 52 and the control card actuator will not be moved. However, plate actuator 38 will be moved and tongue 44 thereof will swing lever 16 and the pointer to the left to indicate True.

A typical game is played using six guilty cards which are square and the disposition of the apertures 53 on the several cards are at different positions and these cards may be placed on the control card actuator in any position. 24 testimony cards each representing a suspect of the crime are used. A dealer deals out the suspect cards to the several players, and, concealed from these players, the dealer places one of the guilty cards on the control card actuator, the position of the apertures 53 not being visible through the top apertures 46 by reason of the recessed arrangement 12a of the top wall. Each player then in turn places one of the suspect or testimony cards 49 in frame 47 over apertures 46 and inserts the probe pointer through the aperture 51 of that card to produce a True or False indication. During the playing of the game, points are scored according to predetermined rules and the player with the highest score becomes the winner.

What is claimed is:

1. A lie detector toy comprising: a housing having a top wall with a plurality of apertures therethrough; a True-False indicator carried by said housing; a movably mounted card frame in said housing, below said apertures, said frame being adapted to removably receive a control card having a hole therethrough; means responsive to movement of said card frame for actuating said indicator to False position; a movable plate under said card frame; means responsive to movement of said plate for actuating said indicator to True position; means on said card frame for removably supporting said control card thereon with said hole in alignment with one of the apertures in said top wall; said card frame being constructed to define an unobstructed passageway therethrough from each of said apertures to said movable plate.

2. A lie detector toy comprising: a housing having a top wall with a plurality of apertures therethrough; a True-False indicator carried by said housing; a movably mounted card frame in said housing, below said apertures and constructed to define an unobstructed passageway therethrough from each of said apertures; means responsive to movement of said card frame for actuating said indicator to False position; a movable plate under said card frame; means responsive to movement of said plate for actuating said indicator to True position; a control card having a hole therethrough; means on said card frame removably supporting said control card thereon with said hole in alignment with one of the apertures in said top Wall; and a probe of a size to pass freely through said apertures and said hole whereby to pass through said card frame and engage and move said plate when inserted in said one aperture.

3. A toy as defined in claim 2 wherein said control card is provided with a plurality of holes, less than the number of said apertures; each hole being aligned with an aperture.

4. A toy as defined in claim 3 including a playing card having a perforation therethrough; means on said top wall removably holding said playing card over said apertures with said perforation aligned with an aperture; said perforation being of a size to freely receive said probe.

5. A toy as defined in claim 2 wherein said card frame and said plate are pivotally mounted in said housing on axes substantially parallel to said top wall and laterally offset from said plurality of apertures.

6. A toy as defined in claim 5 wherein said card frame comprises a plate member having an opening therethrough in alignment with each of said apertures; said movable plate being imperforate at least in those areas aligned with said apertures and openings.

7. A toy as defined in claim 2 including manually releasable latch means biased to hold said card frame in its moved position; means on said card frame for holding said latch means in released position when said card frame is in unmoved position and means for moving said latch to latching position in response to movement of said card frame whereby said card frame may be moved only once without manually resetting said latch means to release position.

8. A toy as defined in claim 7 including audio signal means actuated by movement of said latch means to latching position.

9. A toy as defined in claim 1, wherein said housing is provided with a slot in a side thereof for removal and replacement of said control card on said card frame.

10. A lie-detector toy comprising: a housing having a top wall with a plurality of apertures therethrough; a True-False indicator carried by said housing; first and second movable members in said housing below said apertures; said first member being constructed to define unobstructed passageways therethrough from each of said apertures to said second member; said second memher being below said first member; means removably carried by said first member obstructing selected ones of said passageways; a probe insertable into any selected one of said passageways through said apertures whereby to move said first member when inserted in an obstructed passageway and to move said second member when inserted in an unobstructed passageway; and actuating means to actuate said indicator in response to movement of either of said members, movement of one member causing said indicator to indicate False and movement of the other member causing said indicator to indicate True.

11. A toy as defined in claim 10 wherein said members are provided with portions movable in the same direction; said actuating means including a lever pivoted on a fixed axis in said housing; said portions engaging said lever on respectively opposite sides of said axis whereby movements of said members cause said lever to swing in respectively opposite directions.

12. A toy as defined in claim 10 including means carried by said top wall and defining a chamber beneath each of said apertures; each of said chambers having an opening in the bottom thereof of a dimension corresponding generally to those of said passageways and aligned with its respective aperture.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,040,521 Deline Oct. 8, 1912 1,200,340 Greenwood Oct. 3, 1916 2,054,516 Mabey Sept. 15, 1936 2,652,635 Conger Sept. 22, 1953 2,801,108 Peterson July 30, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 806,608 Germany June 14, 1951 

10. A LIE-DETECTOR TOY COMPRISING: A HOUSING HAVING A TOP WALL WITH A PLURALITY OF APERTURES THERETHROUGH; A TRUE-FALSE INDICATOR CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING; FIRST AND SECOND MOVABLE MEMBERS IN SAID HOUSING BELOW SAID APERTURES; SAID FIRST MEMBER BEING CONSTRUCTED TO DEFINE UNOBSTRUCTED PASSAGEWAYS THERETHROUGH FROM EACH OF SAID APERTURES TO SAID SECOND MEMBER; SAID SECOND MEMBER BEING BELOW SAID FIRST MEMBER; MEANS REMOVABLY CARRIED BY SAID FIRST MEMBER OBSTRUCTING SELECTED ONES OF SAID PASSAGEWAYS; A PROBE INSERTIBLE INTO ANY SELECTED ONE OF SAID PASSAGEWAYS THROUGH SAID APERTURES WHEREBY TO MOVE SAID FIRST MEMBER WHEN INSERTED IN AN OBSTRUCTED PASSAGEWAY AND TO MOVE SAID SECOND MEMBER WHEN INSERTED IN AN UNOBSTRUCTED PASSAGEWAY; AND ACTUATING MEANS TO ACTUATE SAID INDICATOR IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF EITHER OF SAID MEMBERS, MOVEMENT OF ONE MEMBER CAUSING SAID INDICATOR TO INDICATE FALSE AND MOVEMENT OF THE OTHER MEMBER CAUSING SAID INDICATOR TO INDICATE TRUE. 